Incorporating Stepped Care Approach Into e-CBT for Depression

This randomized trial intervention will provide e-CBT for MDD through the Online Psychotherapy Tool (OPTT), a secure, cloud-based, digital mental health platform. Participants (age: 18-65 years) will be offered an e-CBT program tailored to MDD over 12 weeks to address their depressive symptoms. Participants will complete pre-designed modules and homework assignments while receiving personalized feedback and asynchronous interaction with a therapist through the platform. The content of the e-CBT modules is designed to mirror in-person standard CBT for MDD. There will be 12 weekly sessions that include approximately 30 slides each along with interactive content, delivered through OPTT. Using clinically validated symptomology questionnaires, the efficacy of the e-CBT program will be evaluated. Both groups will receive the 12-week e-CBT program with one group receiving the standard program. In the second arm, a stepped care approach can be implemented if deemed necessary by the care provider. This decision will be made if the participant has not shown improvement. Questionnaire data along with physiological data will be used to determine the decision.